Sharon Ellis, Winter, 1994. Alkyd on canvas, 28 x 40 inches. Purchased with funds contributed by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Long Beach Museum of Art, Collectors Circle.

LONG BEACH, CA.-The Long Beach Museum of Art is presenting the grand finale of its 60th Anniversary celebration with A Light in the Shadow  Decades of Art by Women. The Celebrating Sixty exhibition series will continue this summer with a special tribute to female artists opening on the first floor of the Museum pavilion on June 25, 2010. A Light in the Shadow  Decades of Art by Women will present approximately sixty works by women from the Museums permanent collection.

The Long Beach Museum of Art boasts one of the largest art collections of works by women in the nation, with nearly twenty-five percent of the Museums permanent collection comprised of works by female artists (the national average for a museum collection is six percent). This pioneering spirit of the Long Beach Museum of Art is further substantiated by its rich exhibition history, as the Museum has often hosted both solo and group exhibitions for women artists throughout its sixty year history.

A Light in the Shadow  Decades of Art by Women will honor this legacy by showcasing a wide variety of works created by women in a number of media since 1925. Each work in the exhibition offers a compelling narrative that provides insight into the unique experiences of female artists. Although the exhibition features a number of extraordinary paintings, many works in non-traditional media will be included in the exhibition. The installation will highlight media that is less dominated by men, such as works on paper, jewelry, ceramics, and artists books.

A Light in the Shadow  Decades of Art by Women will be celebrated on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at a press, artist and patron reception from 5:00-6:00 p.m. followed by the popular LBMA After Dark from 6:00-10:00 p.m. This exhibition will close on January 2, 2011. The current exhibitions on the second floor of the Museum pavilion include Stories from Our Legacy, Chronicles of Collecting and Highlights from Collectors Circle Acquisitions on display until August 29, 2010. These three installations, illustrating a special thanks to our collectors, donors, and artists, will also be celebrated on July 15. The celebration of art by women in the permanent collection will continue in July in the Lane Oceanview Gallery with ceramics and landscapes.